Deluded Buzz
by Anonymississippi
Summary: This is a running parallel with Toy Story 3, told from Jessie's point of view about her growing feelings for a certain space ranger and the various personalities he seems to posses. Yay for Pixar's best opening weekend yet!
1. Deluded Buzz

_Hello all... As you may have guessed, I saw the movie this weekend and got an idea. Yes, that's how most of these stories start out. Some readers from other shows might be disappointed that I've neglected other stories, but sometimes life just catches up with you. I seem to be able to do these one-shots a bit better. I wanted to make a series of them, but I can't guarantee anything. Anyways... forget Edward and Bella, the best couple of the summer is certainly Buzz and Jessie (at least in my mind, you're entitled to your own views :) ). They can really dance! I own nothing presented here. All that genius belongs to Pixar, Disney and Lee Unkrich.  
_

_**This scene takes place the first night the toys are locked in the caterpillar room, before Woody comes back and after Buzz has been... altered. Spoilers for TS3.**_

Their first night in what was supposed to be a paradise had turned into toy hell. They each sat in their individual cells, looking out of the bars at the moonlight streaming through the windows. Hamm played a dismal tune on a harmonica he had found in his cell, quite intricate for a toy that didn't have much dexterity in his hands… paws… hooves? Every now and then, Buzz would march by, not taking the time to look at any of the toys contained in the caterpillar toy cages.

Jessie sighed, holding her knees to her body as she sat in a corner near the back of her bin. It wasn't like her to feel so helpless. Woody was gone, Mr. Potatohead sentenced to a night in the box, and Buzz… well, she thought Buzz had it worst of all. Despite his actions toward her, she pitied him. She knew the real Buzz would never have done this, especially to her. Now he was traipsing around, finger poised above a pretend laser, ready to jump at the slightest sound his old friends dared make.

"I'm sorry Andy," Jessie whispered to herself. "The attic would have been ten times better than this."

"Don't I know it, sweetheart." Jessie could see Mrs. Potatohead's plastic body through a small slit in the back of the shelf. "Hold on, darling, let me get in a better position so I can talk to you without space boy getting his plastic in a wad." And with that, the elderly spud removed her left ear and her mouth from her face and shoved them through the slit into Jessie's cage. Mrs. Potatohead's mouth landed face, no, lips down on the floor of her cage, and she made a motion for Jessie to pick up her loose body parts. Jessie grabbed a hold of the ear and the lips and got back down into her crouched position, being careful to remain in the shadows so Buzz couldn't see her.

"Now, isn't that better," Mrs. Potatohead whispered.

"I guess, but it's pretty awful when you have to keep your voice down for fear of your best friend." Jessie gazed out of the cage and saw Buzz flip open the plastic flap on his arm and say something rushed and incoherent to a nonexistent authority. In a day they had managed to lose both of their leaders, one to college life and one to some alternate personality.

"I just don't know what's happened to him," Jessie whispered in Mrs. Potatohead's free ear.

"Oh, honey, I do. My husband told me all about it," Mrs. Potatohead replied. "This all happened before I came to Andy's room, so I can't give you a firsthand account. But from what I was told, it was really bad."

"What happened? Buzz has been with Andy his whole life! Nothing that bad could have happened to him."

"Well deary, it wasn't really anything that happened. He just came into the world a little altered. You see, when he was taken out of his box, he was under the impression that he was the real Buzz Lightyear. He thought his cardboard ship could really fly, he thought he had an important mission against some other space toy in a purple dress. He even thought he could fly! Luckily Woody knocked some sense into him, but there's always been this… other part of him that is easily influenced by a higher calling. That seems to be a nice way to put it."

"Then why didn't anyone tell me about it?" Jessie asked.

"He asked all of us to keep the secret from you."

"Me? Why me? I don't care if he was… um, deluded for a little while. I care that he's deluded now, though!" Jessie let her gaze wander yet again to the astronaut toy that had sat down underneath a chair; he was deeply concentrating on an electronic Sodoku operating manual.

"Oh honey, I think you know why."

Jessie felt a blush creep up into her cheeks, and was suddenly thankful Mrs. Potatohead hadn't shoved one of her eyes into Jessie's cell.

"You have to know he cares about you. And don't give me any of that friend stuff. Yes, we're all friends, and I think you, him and Woody are the best of friends, but I also know what a man looks like when he really cares for someone else. Someone else of the feminine perspective, mind you."

Jessie couldn't believe it. Here she was, trapped in some sort of toy purgatory, being told about her own relationship with her captor. The usually shrill, overly excitable potato was giving her some real insight and she couldn't even act on it.

"Well what are we supposed to do? We have to find a way to get OUR Buzz back." Jessie's mind was going ninety to nothing, searching, reaching, debating, trying for anything that could bring the Buzz she knew back to earth.

She watched as Mrs. Potatohead's lips parted and she let out a rather audible yawn.

"Hey, who was that?" Buzz said from across the room. He put his manual down and began walking toward Jessie's cage.

"Oh no, here he comes! What do I do?" Jessie asked.

"Quick, shove my parts back through," She saw a white, plastic arm shoot through the slit, blindly groping for whatever body part Jessie was handing her.

"Just remember," the suspended lips whispered, "Woody was able to get through to him; that means there's still hope. He likes you, you just have to do what it takes to get through to him!"

Buzz had found a flashlight and was checking each cell. He had already woken up Rex when Jessie called out to him.

"Hey, sorry," she said, in as hushed a tone as she could. "You heard me yawn a second ago. Please don't shine that into everyone's cells, you'll wake them up."

Buzz's plastic feet made a steady click as he crossed the floor to Jessie's cell.

"Ah yes, the resolute cowgirl," he smirked. "Taking up for your team is an admirable quality, despite your complete disregard for the authority of the establishment."

"Oh, brother…" Jessie said.

"What was that?" Buzz shined the flashlight directly into her face. She stared back at him with her big green eyes, blinded by the light, and held her hand up to shield her face.

"Ugh, I don't know what to say to you Buzz… um, Mr. Ranger, sir." Her last attempt at calling him by his title made him remove the light from her face. She knew she needed to talk to him, and Mrs. Potatohead had told her to do whatever it took. If that meant playing his little game, then by darn she'd play til she rolled Yahtzee.

She took her hat off and tossed it to the floor, bringing her braid over her shoulder. "So what is it you do up there, Mr. Ranger? Out there with all those stars?" She inched closer to the bars of her cage, making sure she didn't make too much noise.

"I don't see how that's any of your concern, captive," Buzz shot back.

She kept walking, slowly, untying the yellow ribbon on her braid, and gently undoing the twist all the way up her head. "True, it's not really my place, but you're the one who came over and shined a light in my face. The least you could do is talk to me," Her hair, somewhat bespeckled in green paint from that afternoon's playtime, hung loosely around her shoulders. She was leaning, hanging onto the bars, willing Buzz to stay and talk to her. She could hear Hamm snoring and Rex tossing and turning in the cage above her. Good, at least they couldn't hold anything that she did tonight against her.

"Come on, Ranger," she said playfully. "I'm already behind bars, what's the harm in indulging in a little conversation?" She reached her hand out and placed it on his forearm. Buzz, suddenly acutely aware of the silence around them, held the stern look on his face but didn't pull away.

"I really think you should go back to sleep," he said. He roughly removed his arm, sending Jessie's into one of the bars.

"Ouch! Dang it, Buzz, you bout took my stuffing out!" She held her injured arm against her chest protectively, having hurt it earlier that day during their abysmal playtime.

Buzz's demeanor changed instantly. "Oh Jessie! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" He was walking back to her cell, hands outstretched, but then his face returned to it's Ranger mode. "I'm sorry." He said again, though with much less warmth. "I am not overly physical with my captives, and if you choose to write a report with internal affairs I will accompany you to the office in the morning myself."

There it was. She saw it, underneath all the Ranger code of conduct and formality. That was her Buzz, feeling sympathetic toward her, sorry for his actions, utterly devastated that he couldn't break free from whatever was holding him at a distance from his friends. Jessie sighed and sat down at the edge of the cage again still hoping she could get him to talk.

"No report will be necessary, Ranger," she said. "But you could make it up to me by talkin'. I'm far too awake to go back to sleep and you've got to stay up all night any way."

Buzz's face hardened just slightly, but he came over to sit on the shelf her cage rested on, letting his legs dangle off of the side. "So, what would you like to know?" he said. Still stern. Still formal. But still Buzz.

"Can animals go to space?" she asked. Buzz's head whipped toward her, and try though he might, he couldn't suppress the grin that was poking at the corners of his mouth. "I only ask because I really like animals," Jessie continued.

"Well, there were preliminary missions done with highly trained primates that navigated their own space crafts in the dawning of the space age. But that was a very long time ago. Animals are not encouraged to partake in space missions anymore, due to their low intellect and the even lower amount of oxygen in space." Jessie giggled a little at his speech.

"Speaking of oxygen, you know there's plenty of it out here."

"What?" Buzz asked.

She pointed to his plastic helmet; Lotso had put it back up when he was reprogrammed. He moved his finger to his chest, about to push one of his buttons.

"How can I trust you?" he said.

"I guess you really can't," Jessie said. "You can look around you, see how no one else like you has a helmet, and you can take comfort in the fact that if you did pass out, we couldn't escape anyway. There are plenty of patrols in the hallway to stop us from doing irreparable damage." She couldn't tell, but Buzz seemed convinced of her logic, and quickly pushed the button that retracted his helmet. He took a few breaths, and, after judging that all body systems were go, resumed their conversation.

"Thank you for your honesty. But I will have you know that I am not always easily influenced."

"Oh yeah?" Jessie whispered, lowering her voice significantly and scooching closer to the side of her cage where Buzz was sitting. "How so?"

He proceeded to tell her of one of his adventures on a planet in another galaxy, complete with battle strategy and execution methods. She listened intently, realizing this was the first time in months she had kept a steady conversation going with Buzz without him tumbling over his words. She thought it was cute, how he got so into the retelling, really amping up the parts that proved how honorable and noble his mission was. She realized she missed him, missed talking to him about nothing, missed playing on the racetrack with him, missed the way his wings would pop out in anger or embarrassment whenever she would beat him at a board game. Maybe Mrs. Potatohead was right…

"Excuse me," Buzz interrupted her. "I can see I'm boring you, so I'll just let you get some rest."

"No Buzz, don't go!" Jessie grabbed his arm and pulled him back toward the cage.

"Careful, miss, you could have activated my laser!"

"I'm sorry…" She whispered. "And, Buzz, you can call me Jessie."

"I, um, don't believe that would be accepted protocol, miss."

"And staying up all night talking to your captive about personal missions is?"

"Touche. I simply fear my superiors would… read into my addressing you by your name in the wrong fashion."

"And what fashion would that be?" she still had a hold of his forearm, but she let her hand slide down to hold his own. She slowly intertwined their fingers, her breathing rate speeding up just slightly. "If you only knew how wonderful you really are, you'd reach so much farther than infinity."

She watched him look between their fixed hands and then back to her face. "Miss…" Jessie gave him a reproachful look. "I mean Jessie, I understand that you've been through a lot today. And you're not thinking straight."

"Buzz, for the first time in a long time, my thinking is right on the money." She gave him a grin and a wink, and pulled him closer to the bars. Buzz was standing on the floor below her, and she was already fairly tall, so she got down on her knees in the cage, never breaking the hold between their hands. "Buzz, I can see it in your face, you're so close. Don't you remember?"

"Remember? My memory is at 100% capacity. I placed first at the academy in all recollection exams."

"No, Buzz listen. Please, remember. You saved me, from an airplane. You rode Bullseye and your best friend Woody is a cowboy. You help Rex with his roars, and you keep Hamm and Mr. Potatohead in line all the time! Your least favorite game is your own video game, because you get embarrassed watching yourself. You love to play Uno, and you tell me almost everything! Buzz..." Jessie's voice was shaking, doing it's best to keep up with all the thoughts swarming in her brain. "You and I race on race cars, we ride Buster, we do calisthenics with Sarge and the boys. We used to be together all the time… you chose to stay, to stay with me instead of Woody. I mean, you stayed with all of us, but you chose to be with me instead of going back to the attic. Buzz, please believe me…"

Buzz looked at Jessie with a blank face. She could feel him scanning her face, taking in her words, trying to figure out where the trick would come into play. She hoped her sincerity would be enough. He stepped closer to the bars, mere breaths away from her. "Tell me more," he finally said.

"Well, there's um… well you... you care about me, Buzz. I never really acknowledged it, but you do. And I care about you too. I mean, I care about everyone! But you're great and special and… I can see why Andy thinks you're amazing."

Buzz's face suddenly changed. He dropped her hand abruptly and took a step back.

"Buzz… What's wrong?"

"General Lotso warned me about this. He said when you started talking about this Andy that you would attempt to convert me with your sentimentalism. But I will not be swayed."

"No, Buzz, you don't understand!" Jessie desperately reached back out for him.

"I understand perfectly," Buzz retorted. He grabbed her arm through the bars and pulled her right in front of him. "You throw these words around like 'feelings' and 'special' and 'caring.' You try to manipulate me and throw temptations into my face so I won't do my job. But let me tell you, Jes-sie," he said each syllable with such malice that she cringed as he got in her face. "I can handle it. I've taken physical blows so rough you wouldn't believe I survived. Though I've never had an emotional enemy, I applaud you for your tactics. You may be attractive, but I refuse to be seduced. If you had any love for this Andy, you wouldn't be here right now. I don't even think you know what love is." And with that, he turned on his heel and marched back to his position under the chair.

Jessie fell to the floor of the cage, silent tears brimming in her eyes. She wished Andy were here. Or Emily. She missed Woody. But most of all, she missed Buzz. And with that, she crawled to the back of the cage, determined not to give this impostor the satisfaction of hearing her cry.

_Reviews appreciated... as are smiles, hugs, and general pleasantness to your fellow man._


	2. Spanish Buzz

_Yay! I'm back. The reviews for the last installment (despite my intention for it to be a one shot) were so positive and detailed (not to mention full of suggestions) that I felt compelled to write a little something else. This can also stand alone as a one shot, or it can be considered a small series, read in direct sequence with Deluded Buzz. I feel better not promising to update, just because I don't want to let anyone down. However, time willing, you may see me again. I would also like to commend all the TS ff writers that seemed to have surged this week due to the opening. Props for new material! I bet we make 200 by the weekend :) Oh yea, I'm rambling again. But yes, this doesn't belong to me. It belongs to Pixar. And Pixar belongs to Disney. As does ABC, ESPN, and various other companies that many people aren't aware of. _

**This takes place when the toys are on the Sunnyside Playground, making their way to the trash chute and their eventual freedom! Spoilers for TS3, but altered enough to fit my purpose... ha ha!**

It was dark. Not so dark that you couldn't see, but dark enough to execute a highly-complicated escape plan from the most secure daycare center in the Tri-county area. Spotlights from toys powered with ultra-C batteries floated along the eight-foot wall, looking for possible escapees. Jessie crouched near the barrel, acting as a lookout for herself, Bullseye, and the LGMs.

Jessie began pacing back and forth in the barrel. Woody had promised this would work. Get the monkey, check. Get the key, check. Barbie blackmail, supposed check. Get to the yard, check-in-progress. After a few more nervous paces, she saw what appeared to be a pink blob moving in her direction through the shadows.

"Hamm! Over here," Jessie called as loudly as she could without alerting the lookouts. "What took yall so long?"

"Eh… we had a little mix-up with the manual," Hamm replied. "Now out of the way there, girlie. We all got to fit in here and then synchronize our movements."

Jessie moved back as the toys clamored into the barrel, Mrs. Potatohead losing a shoe on the way.

Woody stood at the front of the barrel, a little flustered. "Ok, I think it would be best if we all split up. We'll rendezvous at the bushes, and make our way to the trash chute. Bullseye, LGM's, you're comin' with me. Hamm, Slink, Rex, yall partner up. Potatoheads, you can team up with Buzz and Jessie."

"Just one problem with that smart-guy," Mr. Potatohead said. He had just gotten all of his parts returned to his non-cucumber body. "El Buzzo is MIA," he said.

Jessie looked at Potatohead like he'd lost some of his brain along with his other removable extremities. "El Buzzo? What in tarnation are you-"

"Be right back Jessie!" Woody said, and he sprinted out of the barrel toward a pattern of red lights shooting from odd angles. She heard Woody's hurried voice and some babbling she didn't understand, so she turned back to the group.

"Could someone please tell me what's going on?"

"I don't know if this was such a good idea… Curse my silly finger!" Rex said.

"You'll be fine, Jess. Just stick to the plan," Slink rasped. The spotlight streamed behind the barrel from one of the playground patrols. As soon as it did, she heard Woody climbing back into their hiding spot, leading what seemed to be a cooperative Buzz behind him.

Jessie turned as the spotlight flashed behind her to face her friend. She didn't know if he would remember their talk from the previous night once he had been reprogrammed. "Buzz!" she said. As soon as she started walking toward him, his eyes began to widen. He got a dazed look on his face, similar to that of one who has spun around in circles for a solid minute without focusing on anything. She thought it was just the light behind her, but something just didn't feel right. She walked up to greet him, only to have Buzz fall to his knees before her. Before she could react, he grabbed her hand and watched her with his slightly dazed stare.

"Mi florifilla desierto," Buzz said. "Tienes la belleza de una flor carmesí, audaz y espectacular."

Jessie stood, staring at Buzz, mouth hanging open wider than a catfish teased by a cricket. "Um, guys…" she said, talking hesitantly over her shoulder. "Did you fix Buzz?" The other toys were crowded around the opposite end of the barrel, waiting for the best moment to make their run.

"Eh, sort of," Hamm said. "Rex accidentally set him to Spanish mode."

"Spanish mode!" Jessie said, a little louder than she should have. She received a collective shush from the crowd in front of her. She started to move toward Woody, but Buzz quickly got up and followed her.

"Ok guys, just another minute and we'll go," Woody told the team.

"Woody, what am I supposed to do about this?" she asked, indicating Buzz. He had once again taken her hand and was speaking rapid Spanish, his lights blinking on and off every so often.

"Jessie, just get him to the rendezvous spot; we'll worry about the language barrier when we aren't attempting to escape a maximum security facility."

Jessie had a few choice words for Woody about his own personal security, but she held her tongue.

Woody held his hand up as the "go" sign for the rest of the group. "Ok, one, two, three, go!" And with that, the toys scattered, but all kept their course to the trash chute. Jessie was running with the Potatoheads, but her long legs took her faster than their little plastic shoes would allow. Soon, she heard footsteps coming up beside her, and saw Buzz through her peripherals, matching her stride for stride, cocky smile plastered on his face. She was breathing pretty heavily, and so was Buzz, but every now and then she heard him saying something.

"Senorita, por favor… Senorita, tengo cuidado!" He grabbed her arm and whipped her around in front of him, smushing her against the back of a swing set pole as the spotlight shone past them. She was right up against him, feeling his chest rise and fall from his labored breathing. She watched as he looked over his shoulder to check for lights, and then took her by the hand again. "Vamos!"

They stumbled into the bushes, finding Slink, Rex and Hamm with the Potatoheads. Woody, Bullseye and the LGMs weren't at the bushes yet; they had gotten a little preoccupied with avoiding Big Baby.

"Wow, Buzz! That was close. Thanks for pulling me behind the-"

Suddenly, Jessie felt a tug on her arm, and was hurled into a secluded clearing in the back of the bushes.

"Um… Buzz?" Jessie started.

Buzz didn't say anything. He began moving his feet, bending at the knee, arm cocked at the elbow, circling Jessie in a flamenco-style dance. Every now and then he would take her hand and give her a twirl, making her stomach do a somersault like the first time she looped-the-loop on Andy's racetrack. His moves were impressive, but not nearly as impressive as his gaze. His eyes were fixed on her; even as his head bobbed he kept his eyes focused on her face. Jessie knew this was longest Buzz had ever looked at her without turning away. She'd never been wooed before, and she'd be the first to tell you that damsel in distress was not on her resume. But for some reason, this Buzz gave her attention… and she loved it. The dancing, the light touches, the Spanish words that just rolled off the tongue made her feel so… different.

The confused look she had held for the majority of the dance routine slowly gave way to a smirk, and then an all-out grin. She wanted to grab his arm and go to swingin' and show him a rousing two-step, but for once, she let him lead. In the darkness of the bushes, she simply enjoyed his presence. Not to mention the privacy. Buzz finished up his solo with a flourish and a kneel, once again taking her hand in his.

"Senorita, mis ojos nunca han visto tanta belleza. Por favor, aceptas este beso como símbolo de mi eterna devoción." And with that Spanish ramble, he brought the back of her hand to his lips and let them linger just long enough to send shivers through Jessie's stuffing.

Jessie didn't know what was happening. If she could've looked at herself in a mirror at the present time she would have seen the reflection of the goofiest looking cowgirl this side of the Pacos. She was smiling more than she had in days, and she suddenly became very aware of the quiet around them. She could hear Slink and Hamm whispering behind her, knowing they were waiting on Woody and the rest of the toys. But at that moment, the rest of the team seemed playgrounds away. Buzz rose from his knees and took her other hand in his and placed another kiss on them both. He was about to launch into another Spanish declaration, but Jessie put her finger to his lips.

"No, Buzz, I… I get it. It's just, um… I think that we should wait to do this…" she rambled. His confused face prompted her further. "We've got to be safe Buzz, we're not out of this yet," she started gesturing wildly, indicating the fence, the lights, and the bushes. Buzz's eager face turned blank. "Ugh, this isn't working is it?" she let her head fall to study the dirt around her boots. "If we don't switch you soon, how will you ever know?" she said, more to herself than to him. Buzz took his finger and carefully tilted her chin back up so they could look each other in the eye. He gave her a reassuring grin. One of those million-dollar Buzz Lightyear grins that made him the most irresistible space toy ever.

She remembered back when she was trying to show Bullseye how to rear on command, but the message just wasn't getting across. Buzz had informed her that ninety percent of all communication was nonverbal, and proceeded to play horse whisperer to Bullseye for the rest of the afternoon. She figured she'd take his advice again, showing Buzz how she felt with as few words as possible.

She took his hands back in hers. "You," she said, holding his hands and pushing them to his chest. "And me," she pulled their hands back to her own chest, specifying herself. And then she nodded. She smiled and she nodded again, repeating the gesture with her hands. Then she said it again. "You and me, Buzz… si."

And that was all it took. Buzz's blank stare was no more, replaced by the dazzle of his ranger smile. The smile that made Jessie feel much too girly for her own good. He grabbed her by the waist and lifted her high in the air, twirling her around in silent celebration. When she came back to earth, both literally and figuratively, he held her close in one of the most intimate hugs they had ever shared. She let her head rest on his shoulder, reveling in the comfort of just being held by someone she cared about.

"Gracias por su aceptación, señorita. Mi amor por ti brilla más brillante que las supernovas que pase durante mis aventuras. Usted me va a acompañar, y que vivirá por siempre entre las estrellas!" She didn't know what he said, but she knew he was sweet-talking her so much he'd have a cavity by the end of the night. But she didn't care. It had taken losing the real Buzz to himself and a brief encounter with his Latin counterpart to make her realize how much he truly meant to her. She just had to be brave enough to tell the real him.

Suddenly, doubts plagued her. What if the real Buzz doesn't want this? What if this is just another delusion because of his programming? She was in too deep now to reject the toy currently holding her, but she didn't want to risk the hurt. She wasn't afraid of the physical, but the emotional warfare took a bigger toll. She pulled away from Buzz so she could get a better look at him.

"Buzz, I know you don't understand me right now, which is probably a good thing. But…" she rolled her eyes and let out a breath, pumping herself up for a good moment on her soapbox. She broke away from him, crossed her arms and started pacing. "I'm almost glad you got all swapped around. It took us being enemies for me to admit how I feel, and it took you going mucho loco for you to even make a move! It's been years, Buzz. How do I know that you won't take it all back once you're back to normal? Go all" she lowered her voice for her best Buzz impression: " 'Oh, I'm sorry Jessie. You know I was influenced by outside factors and unfortunately was not acting properly. Please don't misinterpret anything I may have said or done.' Well, I'll interpret this anyway I want to, buddy boy." She was now back in front of him and had her pointer poking right in the chest of his space suit. "And just because you're all…" Jessie gave a big flourish with her arms, "does NOT mean that you're off the hook, comprende?"

Buzz's lips arched into a smirk, as if he had understood every word. Surprising her once again, he grabbed her by the hand and twirled her into a dip, cradling her against him.

Jessie was nearly speechless. Nearly. "Buzz…" she whispered. He was all she could see. Well, him and the stars behind him made for a lovely picture, prettier than a night sky on the prairie. She felt him leaning closer to her, blocking her vision, things getting hazy… where was she again?

"Senorita…"

"Hmm?" was all she could mutter.

"Mi amor, parece que tenemos una audiencia," he replied, inclining his head to the left.

"No, wait, what are you-" and then she turned her head to the left, only to be met with about eleven pairs of wide, disbelieving eyes.

"Holy cousin of Zachary Tyler!" Jessie exclaimed, and jumped so much Buzz lost his grip and she fell clumsily to the ground. She jumped up in a fluster, brushing the debris off her chaps. Her face now matched the color of her hair, but Buzz merely stood beside her, checking his non-existent nails for any non-existent dirt that might have found its way there. Like this was an everyday thing. "Were yall just gonna stand there and watch?" she fumed.

"Eh, sister, don't get you Levi's in a twist. This has been a long time coming," Hamm said. "Now that the Telenovela is over, we gotta get going!"

"Yea guys, come on! It's nearly day break, and the garbage truck will be here any minute," Woody said.

Jessie followed the rest of the toys, but Mrs. Potatohead lagged behind.

"I didn't know when I told you to do "whatever it takes" that you'd go this far. Next time I give you advice, I'll be a little less figurative. This is a G movie after all." And with that, she fell back in line with her husband.

Jessie just sighed, and followed the rest of the toys. Okay, she thought. This can work. We'll be in the attic, but we'll be together. And so what if he forgets about tonight? I've got all the time in the world with him to help him remember. But then there's everybody else. How did Woody and Bo Peep get away with it for so long? There was absolutely no privacy… She then felt someone take her hand as she was about to catch up with the group. She didn't have to look to know who it was, nor did she really have anything else to worry about.

_Reviews once again, are appreciated... as well as flowers, bunnies, and cleaner water in the Gulf. Hasta luego! P.S. The Spanish was taken from Spanish , so I'm not positive if it's correct. There's not too much of it to mess up the context any way ;) Adios!_


	3. Between the Buzzes

_First off, I would like to once again thank everyone who favorited, alerted, and/or reviewed. It really means a lot to little 'ole me to get some feedback. Secondly, I'd just like to say I'm not entirely happy with this chapter. I tried to take some reader advice and work in jealous/heroic/back-to-normal Buzz, but that required a lot of plot summarization, and not as much room for character development. I pretty much condensed what was about 30-35 minutes of movie into 11 pages, which may make parts of this seem jumpy. I apologize in advance. This was a hard chapter to write, just because this is where I cried during the movie, and I think I've got a better handle on lighter subject matter than on this. Still, any suggestions would be appreciated. I plan on doing one more chapter for this series, once the toys are nice and settled at Bonnie's. I own none of this, sadly. *tear* The almighty Disney and Pixar powers do. And now, without further ado..._

**This story begins _in medias res, _which for all you non-lit geeks out there means middle of the action. There is so much plot summary in this, that there are MASSIVE SPOILERS for Toy Story 3. ****The main action begins once the toys have reached the trash chute during their escape from Sunnyside.**

Jessie wasn't afraid of a lot of things. She was by nature a loud, vivacious, generally pleasant toy. She was also rash, stubborn, and extremely emotional. She knew her faults and her strengths, and usually relied on her gut. She sometimes wondered if she had been made with those characteristics in mind, that way she would contrast and complement the good Sheriff. Her qualities didn't leave much room for hesitancy, let alone fear. So when she found herself struggling for her existence, nearly destroyed by a fellow toy's betrayal, she admitted she felt more than a little uneasy. Not necessarily about the not-existing part, because that was bad enough in itself, but more about how she would never be able to beat the toy that was currently cradling her in another game of Uno. She didn't have many regrets, but her biggest was sitting to her right, holding her hand while they watched a blaze that would have put the California wild fires to shame. She knew she didn't have a lot of time, but she wasn't one for all the sappy emotional nonsense. She wanted to get it out there so he could hear it. Just in case they didn't… well, in case she didn't get another chance. It was, as they say, now or never, so Jessie resolved to whisper to Buzz what she had only once voiced to herself. Funny how she had said it only minutes ago…

"Yee-haaa!" Jessie said. She ran under the awning covering the trash chute, outpacing the rest of the weary toys. "We made it guys!" They were all standing under the door to the trash chute, having faced the perils that apparently reside on a pre-school playground. Jessie slapped her knee and gave Bullseye a big scratch on the head. "We'll be back to Andy's by breakfast, Bullseye!"

"We're not out of the woods yet, Jessie," Woody said. "We've got to stick to the plan."

"And here's our fearless leader! So modest when we're 'bout home free!" she said, and went over and squeezed Woody so tight his eyeballs could have popped out of his head. She put the frazzled cowboy down, only to see a jaw-clenched Buzz watching everything over Woody's shoulder.

Woody, thankfully, didn't notice Buzz, and went to the trash chute. He surveyed the equipment resting near the opening, and deeming them unusable, turned back around to face the group.

"Okay guys, I don't know how we're gonna get that thing open, so maybe we can throw Slink's top half up there and he can pull."

"Woody, you know I'd do it if I had to, but this old dog is taking a little longer to catch on to new tricks, if you catch my drift," Slinky said. Slink turned to reveal two kinks he had gotten from that afternoon's playtime; his could still stretch when necessary, but Jessie couldn't help but feel bad when the poor critter was out of whack.

"Right, well, maybe we could do a pyramid instead," Woody suggested. A collective groan escaped from all the toys; pyramids in the past hadn't been very successful. "Well, fine. I'm doing the best I can. Do yall have any ideas?"

No one else said anything, but Buzz stepped forward with a cocky grin. He positioned himself between Woody and Jessie, then pressed one of the buttons on his space suit.

"Buzz Lightyear al rescate!" Buzz proceeded to perform a series of intricate flips and jumps, ending in a triumphant inverted stance, having used his weight as leverage against the trash chute's handle. His head landed right between Jessie's and Woody's. Jessie could have sworn she saw Buzz stick his tongue out at the cowboy. He whispered something to Woody, but because they were so close together, she heard him anyway: "Las extremidades insignificantes no son rival para mis años de entrenamiento! Mantenerse alejado de la belleza pelirroja," Buzz said, with a look so intimidating a coyote would have turned tail and whimpered.

"Right, well… thanks buddy," Woody responded, making a big deal of shaking Buzz's hand and pointing to the trash cute. After the small exchange between rivals, everyone crawled into the chute, and slowly slid down til they could see the remnants of lunches past in the dumpster below.

Jessie couldn't help but think that this was it. This was their chance to go home. Sure, the attic wasn't great, but it wasn't this prison either. Buzz stepped up beside her and put his hand protectively on her waist. Oh yeah, and there was that. She smiled, watching as Slinky bounded across the dumpster, only to be met by one Lotso Huggin' Bear. Great, Jessie thought. Just peachy.

She listened as Woody argued, Potatohead insulted, and Barbie made a surprisingly insightful comment. Now it was her turn.

"Look Lotso, we won't stay here. You're a monster, and I'd rather be locked up in some smelly old attic than be a part of any family of yours."

Lotso's gaze narrowed, and he instructed Big Baby to dispose of the poor group. No, Jessie thought. Not after we've come this far. She scooted closer to Buzz, and put her hand on Barbie's shoulder.

Woody then pulled out a plastic locket, something Jessie had never seen before. How in the world he found that thing, she would never know. She didn't really care at the moment, because that locket had Big Baby throwing crazy ole' Lotso deep down in the half-eaten Lunchables and Fruit-by-the-Foots. Once Big Baby had slammed the lid, the toys bolted across the top.

Yes! The light from the nearing garbage truck was their light at the end of the tunnel. She felt freer than she had in days, like a mustang runnin' wild out west. The plan was almost complete. Get on the truck, get to the corner, then wander through bushes and yards until they reached Elm Street. She turned to high-five Woody, only to see him being dragged into the depths of the dumpster by Lotso.

"Woody, no!" she yelled. "Come on guys, we've gotta go help him!"

The toys climbed back on to the dumpster in a frenzied rush of metal, cotton and plastic. The garbage truck got there much quicker than they anticipated. Once the metal arms gripped the sides of the dumpster, it was good-bye fresh air and hello putrid stench. They fell into the truck's garbage hold, avoiding the rubbish falling everywhere. Jessie was starting to panic again: dark, cold, but this time slimy, almost as bad as storage. She felt better though, when she saw her fellow toys were still making efforts to free themselves from the mountains of trash.

"Quick guys, everybody to Buzz!" She turned to Woody's voice, and saw Buzz and his illuminated plastic shining just a few feet away. All of the toys circled him, doing their best to regroup and stay together. Funny, Jessie thought, that in the midst of raining refuse she would turn to Buzz. Buzz, who, as cheesy as it seemed, was her central point, guiding her like the stars guide sailors or even explorers. Buzz, who but a few days ago would stammer in her presence, look for excuses to leave her, and twitch in a most unmanly way whenever she came near him. The panic of the situation seemed to calm her; she knew as long as she stayed with the group, with Rex and Woody and especially Buzz, they would come out okay.

Her calm didn't last long; as all the toys went to Buzz, another dumpster was hoisted in the air and it's contents expelled, showering the toys with everything from apple cores to last Saturday's newspaper. She was separated from the group by a wave of incoming trash, and then, she was buried. It was a visible darkness, palpable, clinging to her like a band of crazed barrel monkeys. She wouldn't do it, not again, not without a fight. Jessie started digging, shoving her hands and arms up to the single sliver of light, swimming through the sea of garbage. She was able to knock a broken remote control out of the way, only to see the rest of the toys with their backs turned, looking in the wrong direction. _No, I'm over here!_ She tried to shove the remaining junk off of her body so she could squeeze through the hole, only to find the weight of a broken DVD player too much for her thin frame to move. She stuck her arm out, desperately reaching for something that she could use as an anchor. She felt another wave of trash start to fall, ending her hope for escape.

Amazingly, Buzz turned to see her arm flailing as the waste continued to rain.

"Senorita, senorita!" he yelled, bounding over trash piles and rotten food.

"Buzz, help!" She saw the trash falling around him, the greenish tint of the truck throwing everything into a dismal haze. She saw him reach her, and sighed in relief as he lifted the DVD player off of her. He quickly grabbed her arm, and they were off, running for safety in the recesses of the truck. If it hadn't of been for the peril they found themselves in, Jessie would have enjoyed the situation. Running hand in hand with Buzz, feeling the exhilaration of a chase, even dodging objects as Buzz fought to save the day. But this wasn't Andy's playtime. And the raining shards of metal and glass certainly weren't plastic darts shot by evil Dr. Porkchop. Some half-chewed gum fell on her head, slowing her pace, causing her to stumble over an empty cigarette box. She recovered, but was still lagging a bit behind Buzz.

"They'll never make it!" she heard Mrs. Potatohead scream. The waste continued to pour, and Buzz yanked Jessie into his arms, cradling her as he hurdled across the discarded material. Everything turned to slow motion. She looked up at Buzz, her hero, her best friend, and a surge of emotion went through her, deep down to her pull-string voice box. He looked back at her, and through his shiny helmet she could see all the care in the world. A different kind of care than that of Andy or Emily… or even Woody. Something she had never known but was excited to have found. She finally admitted to herself what she had been feeling for some time. She was head over spur-clad heels in love with Star Command Ranger Buzz Lightyear. Though she didn't want him to get used to it, she would play the damsel in distress. Just this once.

He broke his gaze from her, and abruptly looked up. Before Jessie could see what he was looking at, Buzz threw her toward the other toys, and she landed in a heap in front of them. She looked at their faces, and knew that whatever was happening behind her was definitely not good. She turned around to find an old, 1970s television lying screen-down right at the place Buzz had thrown her.

"No…no, Buzz!" she yelled. Gone was any embarrassment she might have harbored at showing her feelings around the other toys. She was the first one over there, pulling with what little strength she still had on the massive television. She barely noticed that Woody, Mr. Potatohead and Slinky were on either side of her, pulling equally as hard as she was.

"Oh! I see him!" she heard Mrs. Potatohead mutter. Rex and Slinky carefully pulled the unconscious Buzz from under the television, sliding him to the back of the truck where no falling trash could get in their way.

Jessie ran to him and kneeled at his side. She hit the button that retracted his helmet so she could hold his head up. This was all her fault. He had sacrificed himself for her, gave her the chance to go back. "Buzz, wake up." She said it with some conviction, thinking if her voice sounded forceful, he really would open his eyes. "Come on, Buzz, wake up!" Less conviction this time. This wasn't just a toy sleeping late on a lazy Sunday. If he didn't get up this time… she didn't want to think about it. "No… Buzz, please."

The toys behind her were respectful. They kept their distance while the dirty cowgirl hugged the space toy. One by one they lowered their heads.

"No…" her voice was cracking. "No, Buzz… no." That was all she could do. Sit there and hold him. It wasn't supposed to end like this. She was gonna kill Woody; this was not in the plan. The truck had been his idea, but he had never planned on actually getting in it. But still, she had to blame someone. The bear, the baby, anyone. Well, there was always herself. She felt the guilt of years past hit her like a Rock 'em Sock 'em Robot. She had never regretted anything more than not telling Buzz how she felt. And now there was nothing she could do about it. She just laid her head on his chest, holding his unmoving body, content to be buried with him in a pile of trash.

She felt a miniscule movement, so small she thought it was just the truck, ambling along the cracked streets. Another, one, this time higher and stronger. She leaned back, only to see Buzz's head jolt like he'd had one too many caffeinated beverages. He opened his eyes, surveyed his surroundings like the Space Ranger he was, and made a rather witty comment to lighten the obviously somber mood.

Jessie couldn't stop herself. "Oh, Buzz, you're back!" She jumped on top of him, straddling him in the mountain of trash, placing sweet, chaste kisses all over his face.

"Um, that's ah… um, great guys. But where did I go?" he asked.

The toys didn't have time to answer. They were all thrown from the confines of the truck to a bigger collection of trash, a junkyard that rivaled the depths of Zurg's dominion. They tried to remain together, but watched as the three LGM's wandered off and were swept away by a roaring dozer, scooping all of the trash into a central hole. After some running, some falling, and a lot of spastic flailing, they found themselves on a conveyer belt, face to face with an industrial shredder. The toys were crafty, each of them grabbing something metal and subsequently lifted out of the shredder's path by a giant magnet. She watched as Buzz and Woody dropped from their safe metal perches to aid Lotso.

"No, Buzz!" he turned to look at her, but still went to free the bear from the golf bag. She watched as they got closer to the shredder, fifteen feet, ten feet, five… "Buzz!" she shouted. And as she called his name, Buzz, Woody and Lotso were hoisted into the air, saved by a nine-iron.

Buzz and Woody let go and met up with the other toys, Buzz returning instinctively to Jessie's side.

"Look guys, I see daylight ahead!" Rex said.

"I don't think that's daylight," Hamm replied.

And they were running again. Just like in the truck, she ran holding Buzz's hand, jumping over the shredded bits of food and paper that passed to the incinerator. The machine was too much for them, and they were rapidly losing ground. She felt a physical loss when Buzz left her to go help Lotso up the ladder. But then he was at her side again, running, waiting for the strawberry-scented crazy to push the 'stop' button. Unfortunately, no relief came.

"Where's your kid now?" she heard Lotso call, and watched with anger and fear as he ran the other direction. They were at the mouth of the incinerator now, still running, but their night of non-stop action had tired them. They toppled over the edge, all of them wading through the scraps that continued to flow off the belt. They fell, and Jessie could feel the searing heat through the back of her vest. They were now halfway to the incinerator, still crawling, but every move was more labored than the last. She looked around and saw what had been her family for almost a decade, struggling to find some escape. They were less than fifteen feet away from the flames. She turned to Buzz, panic etched on his face, and asked the space ranger for guidance.

"Buzz," she heaved, "What do we do?"

Buzz didn't say anything. Space Ranger to the end, he analyzed his surroundings, and after his own inner conflict, stopped struggling and took her hand. She looked at his hand, then to the fire, and then back to him, understanding his intention. She wanted to berate him, to chastise him for giving up, but knew that he wasn't giving up. He was stronger than all of them, accepting the inevitable, facing it head on. She turned to her left to see Bullseye frantically pawing through the rubbish, but losing his footing with every movement. She wanted to be like Buzz. Be as strong as him, for him, be the tough 'ole cowgirl he had always known. She took her other hand and grabbed a hold of Bullseye's front hoof.

Behind her, the rest of the toys had seen Buzz's gesture. In a poignant attempt to go out with dignity, they all joined hands. Buzz reached out to grab Woody's arm, and Jessie watched as the two shared a silent goodbye. Buzz turned back to her but didn't say anything. He only pulled her closer, and she felt the smallest bit of joy that her last moments would be in his presence. She had met the Ranger and the Spaniard, but this was the Buzz she wanted to share her life with. Even if that life only lasted a few more seconds. So she leaned into him, and said with a shaky voice, "Buzz, I love you." His hand tightened on hers, signifying the feeling was mutual. She got one last look at his face, and then closed her eyes, ready to accept her fate.

She opened her eyes, not really understanding what had happened. It was bright, but not the kind of bright that you see from roaring flames. She was still in a mound of trash, and Buzz was still beside her. She heard voices, evidence that her friends had made it out alive. She sat up, and so did Buzz, and both looked at their hands, still connected. She was going to let go, because she didn't want to embarrass him, but found that their hands had melded just a little, plastic to plastic, from the heat of the flames. She didn't mind, and neither, it seemed, did Buzz. They could find a way to separate, but the cowgirl didn't really know if she wanted to. For now, she'd simply enjoy the excuse she had to hold his hand.

_Well... there you go. I hope it sounds better than I think it does. I once again got the small Spanish bit from spanish translator (dot) com, so forgive me my grammatical errors :)  
Reviews appreciated, along with love, joy, peace, patience and kindness. _


	4. Bonnie's Buzz

_And so the credits start to roll... here is the last installment of Deluded Buzz, a take on Jessie and Buzz's relationship during TS3. Well, you know that already, or else you wouldn't be on chapter four. Reader response for this series has been amazing, more than I could have have ever guessed. Thank you so much for reviewing and favoriting, it gives me standards to live up to. I might write some little one shots later this summer, but once again, no promises. I hope you like this last chapter; it's longer and I think it leaves the characters in a good place. But what do I know? See for yourself... oh, and once again, I don't own Toy Story 3. I own a few cds, a clock, and a bag of chips. That's about it. Disney Pixar owns pretty much everything... or at least they can afford to own pretty much everything :)_

**This takes place at Bonnie's... You all know the scene. Well, it was in the credits, so spoilers for the credits!**_  
_

"Rawr! You are no match for me and my army of prehistoric minions," Bonnie cried, holding Rex in front of Trixie and the other dinosaur toys. "You shall never retrieve your animal friends, ha ha ha!" Bonnie had Buttercup, Mr. Pricklepants, Slinky and Hamm dangling over a pit of unsharpened pencils sticking up out of a slab of Styrofoam.

"Just hang on guys, we'll get you out," Bonnie said again, this time holding up Dolly. "Come on Sheriff, we've got to find a way to get the animals away from that pit of spikes, or else the Potatoes won't have any pets to sell at their Potato Pet Emporium." Bonnie had set the good Mr. and Mrs. Spud on top of her bed; Mr. Potatohead was holding the Mrs. in a dip, as if she had swooned from the sight of her beloved animals in peril.

Bonnie ran to her bed and picked up Mrs. Potatohead. "Please help my animals!" she shrieked, in a voice very similar to the actual Mrs. Potatohead's. "We have to have our pet store to feed our babies." Bonnie somersaulted to the other side of the bed where Chuckles and the LGM's were tucked under her covers. "We're hungry mama, feed us…"

Bonnie jumped off her bed and back onto the floor, picking up each dinosaur and making roaring noises.

Jessie and Buzz watched all of this from their perch in the closet where Bonnie had hidden them about ten minutes ago. Jessie tugged on the napkin Bonnie had tied around her neck. The little girl meant for it to be a cape, but it was just snug enough around Jessie's neck to be uncomfortable. She fidgeted with the knot, the collar of her Western blouse and her not-so-nimble plastic fingers interfering with any loosening progress. Buzz watched as she got more and more annoyed with the knot.

"May I?" he asked.

"Sure…" she tilted her head back, giving him access to the knot at her neck. "I don't see how you're gonna get it undone. This thing's stuck tighter than a jackrabbit in a field mouse hole." He tugged this way and that on the material, finally untying the constricting knot. He retied it, giving Jessie a little more slack this time.

"Thanks, Buzz," she said.

"Don't mention it."

It had been three days since their journey from the dump and their final playtime with Andy. Bonnie was as imaginative as any kid Jessie had ever seen, and she was happy to belong to someone that Andy knew. Bonnie had let her be everything from a pirate to a princess to an evil sorceress. And that was just in the past three days! The makeshift cape currently tied around her neck only sparked her excitement further. She fidgeted impatiently while waiting to see what character Bonnie would create for her next.

"You know, you really need to calm down. You act like you've never been played with before." Buzz was sitting calmly on the edge of one of Bonnie's plastic cubicles, swinging his legs over the side. She could see his glow-in-the-dark plastic shining in the darkness of the closet. He made a motion, patting the space beside him for her to come sit down.

"Oh, Buzz, come on! We're about to make our big entrance!"

"Not for another ten minutes we won't. The dinosaurs still haven't made their demands for the hostages," Buzz replied, as if everyone knew the protocol surrounding hostage negotiations.

Jessie hopped down onto the cubicle to sit beside him. Three days. Three days since she told Buzz that she loved him, three days since she thought she would never get to see him again, and three days passed without any acknowledgement on his part as to what happened between the two toys. At night when she was tucked into Bonnie's covers, she came up with excuses. It's a new home, he's got to get used to it. It's a new household, and we don't know our boundaries yet. There are new toys here, and we don't want to neglect their hospitality. It's a new… oh for the love of a miner forty-niner, just kiss me already!

She knew Buzz wasn't one for public displays of emotion. That one time she'd slapped him on the plastic behind after a dare from Woody, he'd turned redder than a Little Tikes fire engine. She had giggled uncontrollably, but Woody was nowhere to be found after that little escapade. Slinky had discovered him bound and gagged hours later under Andy's bed, and Woody kept insisting it was retrieval and capture training for Sarge's troops (something he had willingly volunteered for). Buzz had stood off in the corner, arms crossed and a knowing grin on his momentarily smug face. Jessie had asked Sarge about the training schedule that day, and found that there was no retrieval exercise planned. She knew, even then, Buzz was a wily one when he wanted to be.

But now, in the dim closet, she sat beside him, waiting for their turn to do battle with the hoard of hostage-taking dinos. Buzz looked straight ahead, but took her hand in his.

"You know this is the first time since we've been here that we've been alone," he said.

Jessie felt like that cartoon coyote had just dropped an anvil in the pit of her stomach. After three days of slow, painstakingly sluggish minutes leading up to this conversation, she was suddenly a little nervous. She had practiced this situation several times in her head. She was gonna let him know that this was for real, but there was no way in Zurg's dominion that they would be as clingy as Barbie and Ken. But then again, she wasn't about to put up with this 'embarrassed' spaceman routine every time they hugged in front of the other toys. She wanted a good middle ground. She had replayed that speech several times in the past few days, but all those thoughts seemed to evacuate her mind when she found herself sitting in the dark with Buzz.

She got out of her own head, and noticed he was waiting on her to respond to his previous comment. She thought she'd astound him with a witty remark, something about how patient and forgiving she was.

"Yeah… about time!" she said. Oops… guess that 'patient' thing backfired. She thought she was coming off as a little forward, but even in the dark she could see him smile.

"Well, I've been thinking a lot lately… about us."

She didn't say anything back to him. She thought her opinion on the situation was pretty obvious.

"I've been told I made a pretty big fool of myself when I was at Sunnyside," he said. "They said that I was back to my, um, old self, and that I was pretty mean to some of you guys, so I'd like to apologize for that."

"Is that all they told you?" Jessie prompted.

"Yes… well, no, they told me I um… got reset."

"And...?" Ugh, she thought, this was worse than making a mule cooperate.

He turned and faced her, pulling her hand into his lap. She looked down at their hands, noticing the little melted spots from where they were temporarily melded together. He seemed to be remembering it, too.

"They told me I could only speak Spanish for a while, and that I started acting pretty crazy… you know, like a Spaniard, um, Spanish person," he said. "Woody told me that nobody understood what I was saying, but that, well, the gist of my words came across pretty clearly."

"Just for clarification's sake, why don't you tell me again? But in English this time." Jessie said.

"Jessie, I…" he started. "You know, I never thought I'd be jealous of Mr. Potatohead."

Okay… that came out of left field. No, scratch that, more like the bleachers in the farthest part of the outfield.

"Buzz, what are you talking-"

"Just, let me finish or I won't get this out. At Christmas one year, he stood beside the baby monitor and kept repeating 'a Mrs. Potatohead, a Mrs. Potatohead.' I thought he was insane. Expecting some toy to just come and they would be, as Barbie said, made for each other. And then when you came back with Woody, yall were real close and had a lot in common…"

"Hold it right there. You know Woody and I are just-"

"Jessie, please." She shut up. But only because he said please.

Buzz continued, "I could see quickly that you and Woody were, well, just that, you and Woody. And you were so nice to me; don't think I didn't, um… pick up on the signals. But you have to understand, Jessie, it's not in my programming to be that optimistic. Not like you and Woody. I'm overly analytical, and I didn't think that a toy as great as you would look my way."

Jessie turned her body to face his. "Oh Buzz… I never knew you felt that way." Then, she remembered why she liked him in the first place. She playfully slapped him over the back of the head. "Why would you feel that way? You're Buzz hackin' Lightyear! You're the coolest toy ever! Any toy would be happy to be with you. It's me who should have the inferiority complex."

Buzz didn't reply to her last statement. "Look, we can go back and forth like this all day, talking about what we did and didn't do, but that would really waste a lot of this time that we have together right now." He turned to face her, and brought his hand up to the back of her head.

Jessie bit her lower lip, pretty sure the anvil in her stomach had been replaced with some sort of violent, kicking animal.

"So… we're on the same page now, right?"

Jessie couldn't do anything but nod. She let the irony of the situation sink in. She was here, alone, in a dark closet with Buzz. Oh, Woody was going to have fun with this.

"I mean, I lo-… I love you, and you said, well, back at the incinerator-"

"I love you too, Buzz," she whispered.

His face relaxed and he pulled her closer. And there he was again. Everything she could see, getting hazy… were they still in the closet? Then, he wasn't there. Well, he was there, but he had picked her up and was carrying her back to the top cubicle.

"Bonnie's coming," he explained.

Never in her life had she wanted to postpone playtime… in favor of, well, a different kind of playtime.

They watched as Bonnie pulled Woody's pull-string, and Woody returned with a pre-programmed, "Reach for the sky."

"Oh, no! Did you hear that Dolly?" Bonnie asked, waving the doll around in her left hand. "We have to look to the skies!" Bonnie dropped Woody and Dolly in front of the dinosaurs and sped to the closet. She whipped her cape off of a hanger and grabbed the now immobile Jessie and Buzz.

"Let those animals go you dangerous dinos!" Bonnie said, popping Buzz's wings out. "Quick Jessie, you distract them while I get the animals!"

"You got it buddy!" Bonnie said, and ran around with Jessie behind her, both of their capes flapping from the ceiling fan in the room. "Over here, dino dudes!" Bonnie held Jessie in front of Rex and moved her hands to her hips. "You guys don't stand a chance."

"You better watch what you say, little cowgirl," Bonnie said, pushing Rex out in front of the rest of the dinosaurs.

"And why should I do that?" Jessie and Rex continued their verbal spar. Bonnie kept narrating their argument as she took Buzz and retrieved a net. She put all the hostage animals in it, and then Buzz flew them up to safety with the Potatoheads, still posed on the bed.

"Ha ha!" Bonnie returned to Jessie. "You've been tricked, Tyrannosaurus Tex! You're hostages are gone, and you will be soon. Now guys!" During this monologue, Bonnie had moved Woody, Dolly and Buzz to surround the dinosaurs, and the toys 'threw' a blanket over the dinosaurs. "Yes! They're trapped! But not Tyrannosaurus Tex, he's escaped!"

"Jessie, lookout! No!" Bonnie had tried to make Jessie fly away, but she let Rex get a hold of Jessie's cape.

"Get away from me, Tyrannosaurus Tex!"

"It's alright Jessie, I'll save you!" Bonnie grabbed Buzz and flipped him and popped his wings out again, knocking Rex in the head and freeing Jessie.

"And now to deal with you, Tex," Bonnie grabbed Buzz and Rex, and Buzz shot Rex with his laser. Bonnie knocked him over and launched Rex into the wicker toy box at the end of her bed.

"Great job guys! You did it," she grabbed Woody, Dolly, Jessie and Buzz and set them all on her bed with the Potatoheads and the rescued animals. "And now, after that daring rescue, I believe we should regroup for another attack, just in case the dinosaurs come back…"

"Bonnie!" Bonnie's mom called, "It's time to go to swimming practice."

"Yes! Okay, I'll see yall after I go swim!" She whispered into Slinky's ear. "My doggie paddle is getting really good!" Bonnie grabbed her suit and her floaties, and bolted out the door.

"Um, guys!" The toys heard a muffled cry from the toy box. "I really don't like being in here by myself!"

"We'll get him, come on Trixie," Buttercup said. "I never knew a dinosaur who was afraid of the dark."

The toys got Rex out, and they all climbed back onto the bed.

"Was I scary guys? I've never gotten to be the main villain before!" Rex asked.

"Terrifying! I might start calling you Tyrannosaurus Tex all the time now," Dolly said.

"I've never gotten to fly before! It was awesome!" Jessie jumped off the bed and ran around the room, arms extended like she was flying. She climbed up on Bonnie's desk, getting the best draft from the wind so her cape could blow.

"I think you could take 'ole Lightyear over here," Woody called.

"Ha, I doubt it. My wings were built with the most aerodynamic titanium known to man, as well as double propelling thrusters. That little dinner napkin has nothing on me."

A collective murmur resounded through the group of toys. Mr. Pricklepants spoke up, eager to heighten the tension. "My dear girl, I do believe this young space man has issued a challenge. An indirect one, mind you, all in very bad taste. But in order to retain your noble reputation, I believe you have no other option but to accept."

"Well, thank you Mr. Hedgehog, sir, but I'd like to make one condition," Jessie pulled her hat down low on her head, grinning maniacally at Buzz. Buzz looked back at her with a mischievous, yet equally challenging stare. "I get to pick the manner of competition."

Another murmur among the crowd of toys, and Buzz flipped off the bed and started walking toward the desk. Oh, it was on now. The toys all flocked to the desk, eager to see what competition would occur between the determined cowgirl and the experienced spaceman.

"I accept whatever challenge you present, Jessie," Buzz walked up to her and all the toys circled around them. What Buzz failed to notice was that Jessie was inching ever so slightly toward Bonnie's Playskool Bounce the Beat Boom Box. She gave Woody a wink and nodded toward the boom box, and Woody responded with another announcement to the crowd.

"Just so we're clear everybody, Buzz just accepted Jessie's challenge, no matter what it is," he said, looking directly at Buzz.

"That's right, Woody. I'll take anything you throw at me. So, what's it going to be? Obstacle course? A race around the room? The most creative way to dismount from Bullseye? I believe I've already mastered the third of those challenges," Buzz said, head raised high in false haughtiness.

Jessie suddenly bumped the boom box with her hip, turning on a sizzling Latin rhythm. "I was just hoping you could keep up," she said.

Buzz suddenly started tapping his feet, turned toward Jessie across the desk, and swept her into a low dip.

"I… uh, don't know what came over me."

"Just go with it, Buzz."

They continued their dance, cheered on by their fellow toys. He twirled, she strutted, and somewhere in there Woody threw a plastic rose onto the desk, really boosting the Spanish atmosphere. She got to be close to him in front of the rest of the toys. She guessed this was the middle ground she was hoping for, and Buzz didn't seem uncomfortable at all. He was smiling, and every time he pulled her close, he would whisper something only she could here. Sometimes it was sweet, and other times it would make her giggle, but every time it was special. Buzz pulled her arm and spun her on the floor, ending with a double turn and a dip over his knee. They both threw their arms up to signal their triumphant finish.

Cheers erupted from the surrounding toys. They surrounded Jessie and Buzz, Bonnie's toys unaware of Buzz's Spanish side. They kept throwing questions at him, questions he attempted to dodge as best he could. Woody stayed in the background, but eventually called everyone to order.

"I think the real question is, who won?" he asked, smirking larger than a movie villain.

"Jessie, all the way!"

"No way! Did you see Buzz do that lift?"

"Yeah, but Jessie had to balance up there."

"I do believe the strength of the male outweighs the grace of the female."

The toys were divided, guys voting for Buzz and girls for Jessie. Woody called it a tie, and opted for another challenge between the two to be presented tomorrow. The group agreed that the next challenge would take place in the morning while Bonnie was at daycare. The toys dispersed, and Buzz and Jessie climbed down from the desk. They were walking toward the nightstand where Hamm and Trixie were picking teams for Pictionary. Buzz stopped abruptly and put a hand over Jessie's mouth, pulling her under the bed.

"Buzz, what are you doing?" she asked, flustered.

"I won."

"I'm sorry, what?" she asked.

"I won the challenge. You just said I had to keep up with you, and I did. So, I fulfilled my part of the bargain. And I won."

Jessie was a little confused. He won. Okay, great. Give him a wreath of roses and a turn around the winner's circle.

"Right… yes. Um, congratulations? You win everything Buzz, why is this a surprise?"

"You don't seem to understand, little lady," he said, pulling her closer. He moved his hands to her waist, backing her up against the corner bedpost. "I won, which means I get a prize."

Jessie was confused, then realization dawned, finally replaced by a tinge of embarrassment and flattery. "Right well… was there anything you had in mind?" she asked.

"I can think of a thing or two," he replied, removing her hat and letting it slide down beside them. Her hair had gotten a little tousled from the dance; he curled a piece of yarn behind her ear, leaving his hand to linger near her cheek. Bonnie's red bed sham and the fading afternoon light cast a warm glow that reflected off the hardwood floors beneath the bed. Jessie thought it was beautiful.

"What's wrong Jessie?" he asked. She was a little taken aback. The talking, the dancing, and now this… It was what she wanted, but now she couldn't seem to do anything other than smile like a dopy-lookin' street mime. "What's a matter cowgirl?" he teased. "Make a move."

That was all the encouragement she needed. She flung herself at him, giving him the best first kiss of his life (and hers too). Her arms wrapped around his neck, his around her waist. He picked her up, and she lifted one of her feet at an angle, just like she'd seen in the old Western movies whenever the hero got the girl. Soon she could feel him smiling, and she kissed the corners of his now-beaming mouth.

"I'm pretty sure that was the best prize I've ever received."

"Well, it was a really hard dance," she said. "In fact, the difficulty might warrant a bonus prize-"

He cut her off with his lips, this time holding her face in his hands. As the kiss continued, he slid his arms down her shoulders, along her arms and finally to her hands. They broke apart but were still grasping hands, foreheads resting against each other.

"You know," Buzz said. "This hurt worse than getting knocked out of Andy's window." He pointed to the place where their hands had been stuck together. Jessie looked down at her own hand, but noticed the bulky plastic on his hand had melted much more than on hers. "But my recent analyses have proved it to be completely worth it."

She smiled once again. She caught herself doing a lot of that these days. She was about to have another go at the space toy, when she heard Woody calling for them. They separated for propriety's sake, but Buzz still held her hand.

"We're under here Woody," Jessie called. She grabbed her hat and smashed it on her head, trying to straighten herself up a bit.

Woody pulled the sham up and walked over to them.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"Well actually-"

"We were just about to come out and see if they still needed some players for Pictionary," Jessie said. She elbowed Buzz slightly, somewhat excited to see this new teasing side to him.

"Yea, I'm sure they do. But actually guys, I'm coming here on business. You won't believe what some of the toys want to do."

"What is it?" Buzz asked.

"They want yall to teach dance lessons! Can you believe it? Almighty Buzz Lightyear, defender of the universe, teaching dance lessons! But I won't rock the boat. They loved the dance so much they all want to learn."

"Well, I guess that could, um, be arranged," Buzz replied. "That is, if my partner's up for it."

"Sure I'm up for it! It's about time we had a hoe-down in this place," Jessie said.

"Great, I'll tell the rest of the toys and go meet up with Dolly to start setting up a schedule," Woody said.

Woody pulled up the sham, and all three toys climbed out from underneath the bed. They were walking toward the nightstand, where Pictionary was in full swing.

"A person… no, a person with an arrow sticking out of his head. No, a person with a circle around the arrow sticking out of the top of his head!"

"That's time," Hamm said.

"No, you dummy dino," Mr. Potatohead said to Rex. "The answer was 'stick figure'."

Buzz and Jessie stood off to the side, waiting to hop in until after the bickering subsided.

"So… that was nice," Buzz said, watching as Mr. Potatohead threw one of his ears at Rex.

"Yea, it was," Jessie replied. She squeezed his hand a little tighter. "But Buzz," she whispered. "If you ever call me 'little lady' again, I promise you'll regret it." She left him standing as she ambled up to the group. She threw one last coy glance over her shoulder, smirking at the stunned space toy. She giggled to herself, and went over and slapped Woody on the back as he picked up a pencil to start to draw.

"So what's this I hear about you pushin' Buzz out of Andy's two-story window?" Jessie asked him.

All of Bonnie's toys suddenly stared wide-eyed and terrified at Woody, none of them guessing what he was nervously scribbling. "What? No wait, guys, it's not like that," Woody rambled. Bonnie's toys took a step back from him. "Wait, no. Jessie, look what you did! Ugh…" the exasperated Sheriff through his hands in the air. "Not again… okay, look, here's what really happened…" Woody launched into his story, telling how he first met Buzz. Bonnie's old toys were so involved in the retelling that they didn't notice Jessie and Buzz sneaking back under the bed.

_Reviews appreciated... as well as rainbows, s'mores, and strawberry lemonade._


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